playoff Previews

Nottm Forest vs Swansea
Nott'm Forest v Swansea Championship play-off semi-final first leg Venue: City GroundDate: Thursday, 12 May Kick-off: 1945 BST Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1; Listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website


TEAM NEWS
Goalkeeper Lee Camp and midfielder Guy Moussi have both been passed fit for Nottingham Forest.

They were substituted against Crystal Palace after picking up minor knocks.

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers must decide whether club skipper Garry Monk or vice-captain Alan Tate will partner Ashley Williams at centre-back.

Rodgers also faces a selection headache in midfield, with Joe Allen, Leon Britton, Mark Gower, Darren Pratley and Stephen Dobbie all vying for places.

MATCH PREVIEW
Forest and manager Billy Davies have had their share of play-off heartache. Beaten at this stage last year by Blackpool, the Reds have been involved in three play-off ties and lost them all.

And although Davies triumphed by taking Derby to the top flight in 2007, he missed out as Preston manager in both the previous seasons and was again on the losing side with his current club last time around.

But Forest's end-of-season form means they can be hopeful of securing a return to the Premier League after a 12-year absence. They have won five of their last six matches, and in each of their last four victories have netted at least three goals.

Swansea, last in the top flight in 1983, also go into this match in good form. Three consecutive wins saw them leapfrog South Wales rivals Cardiff to finish third in the table.

If the Swans make it to the promised land this month, their defensive record will be a major factor. During the season they conceded a mere 42 Championship goals - a feat bettered only by champions Queens Park Rangers.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
•This is the 60th meeting of these clubs. Nottingham Forest have won 24 and Swansea 22 of the previous 59.
•Forest are three goals away from the club's 100th against City.
Nottingham Forest
•Forest have scored a total of 14 goals in their last four wins.
•They have won one, drawn one and lost four of their six previous play-off matches.
•Forest ended the regular season top of the Championship's 'form table' based on the last six matches of the campaign.
•They are aiming to become the sixth club to reach the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing the season in sixth place.
•Chris Gunter is set for his 100th start for the Reds, while Garath McCleary could make his 100th appearance for them.
Swansea
•Swansea have kept clean sheets in three of their last four matches.
•They are aiming to become the sixth club to reach the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing the season one place below the automatic promotion places.
•Ashley Williams is set to make his 150th start for City, while Mark Gower could make his 100th start for the club.


Reading vs Cardiff
Reading v CardiffChampionship play-offs semi-final first legVenue: Madejski Stadium Date: Friday, 13 May Kick-off: 1945 BST Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1; Listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website. Live on Sky Sports 1. Highlights on BBC Sport website 2200 BST Saturday, 14 May

Npower Championship
Home Team Score Reading v Cardiff 19:45


TEAM NEWS
Reading's on-loan midfielder Mikele Leigertwood has been passed fit for Friday's play-off encounter.

Leigertwood suffered an ankle injury during the Royals' win against Derby, but the problem has cleared up.

Cardiff hope keeper Tom Heaton, who missed out against Burnley, recovers from a groin strain in time to play.

Mark Hudson was substituted in that game but boss Dave Jones insisted the change was tactical, and not related to the defender's recent knee injury.

MATCH PREVIEW
Beaten by Blackpool in last year's Wembley showdown, Cardiff City make another attempt to reach the Premier League via the play-offs and end the Welsh club's long wait for a return to the top flight, which they last graced in 1962.

Boss Dave Jones - the Championship's longest serving manager - was a forlorn figure after last season's defeat, but tasted play-off success with Wolves in 2003 and would dearly love to repeat that feat with the Bluebirds.

His Reading counterpart Brian McDermott, a former Cardiff player, led the Royals to the thick of the promotion race with a brilliant run during the second half of the campaign. Their season's tally of 77 goals was bettered only by Leeds and Norwich.

Cardiff, on the other hand, go into this tie having won only one of their last four matches - a run which saw them not only miss out on automatic promotion, but also leapfrogged by rivals Swansea, who finished above them in third.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
•Reading and Cardiff have each won 19 of the 55 previous meetings.
•The Royals' last home win against Cardiff was a 5-1 victory in January 2006.
Reading
•Reading drew an unsurpassed 17 Championship games during the regular season.
•They are hoping to become the seventh club to reach the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing a season fifth. The last was Burnley in 2009.
•Shane Long is set to make his 200th Reading appearance.
Cardiff
•Cardiff have won three and drawn two of their last five away games, and have not been beaten on the road since losing at Crystal Palace on 8 March.
•This is City's fifth play-off campaign, and their second as a Championship club.
•They are aiming to become only the third club to reach the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing the season fourth. The others were Leicester (1994) and Charlton (1998

Swansea v Nott'm Forest (agg 0 - 0)Championship play-offs semi-final second legVenue: Liberty StadiumDate: Monday, 16 May Kick-off: 1945 BSTCoverage: Listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website; live on Sky Sports 1


TEAM NEWS
Swansea will be without Neil Taylor for their play-off semi-final second leg unless his appeal against a red card in the first game is succesful.

Fabio Borini is expected to be fit despite limping off on Thursday, while Craig Beattie may be on the bench after recovering from a stomach bug.

Forest are hopeful that Robbie Findley (thigh) and Guy Moussi (calf) will be passed fit.

Both were forced to sit out the opening leg after failing fitness tests.

MATCH PREVIEW
Many will regard Swansea as favourites to reach Wembley after they held out for a goalless draw in Thursday's first leg despite playing almost all of the game a man down following Neil Taylor's sending-off.

But Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies insisted playing against 10 men made it tougher for his side, who struggled to create chances because of their opponents' resolute defending.

Beaten by Blackpool at this stage last year, Forest are having their fourth crack at the play-offs and have never reached a final. Davies is hoping to avoid the distinction of suffering back-to-back play-off failures with two different clubs. He missed out as Preston boss in 2005 and 2006.

Having taken Derby up in 2007, Davies is also hoping to follow in the legendary Brian Clough's footsteps by leading both East Midlands rivals into the top flight. Meanwhile, Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers, who described his team's first-leg display as "brilliant", is hoping to engineer City's return to the top flight after a 28-year absence.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
•Nottingham Forest have won 24 and Swansea 22 of the previous 60 meetings of these clubs.
•Forest are three goals away from the club's 100th against City.
Swansea
•Swansea have kept clean sheets in their last three matches, and four of their last five.
•They have conceded a mere 42 Championship goals this season - a feat bettered only by champions Queens Park Rangers.
•City are aiming to become the sixth club to reach the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing the season one place below the automatic promotion places.
Nottingham Forest
•Forest have won one, drawn two and lost four of their seven previous play-off matches.
•They are aiming to become the sixth club to reach the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing the season in sixth place.

Cardiff v Reading (agg 0 - 0)
Championship play-offs semi-final second legVenue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Monday, 16 May Kick-off: 1945 BSTCoverage: Watch highlights on Tuesday's Football League Show at 2335 BST on BBC One; Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website



TEAM NEWS
Cardiff City hope forward Craig Bellamy will be fit to play in Tuesday's Championship play-off semi-final second leg with Reading.

The Wales striker was forced off with a hamstring injury during the first half of Friday's goalless first leg.

Reading duo Jimmy Kebe (thigh) and Hal Robson-Kanu (hamstring) will undergo fitness tests.

Robson-Kanu was forced to come off during the first leg, which Kebe missed because of his niggling injury.

MATCH PREVIEW
The goalless draw in the first leg perhaps hands Cardiff the initiative in this play-off tussle, but Reading's results during the second half of the regular season suggest they are capable of beating anyone.

After their resolute performance last time out, Cardiff will hope to make their attacking strength count and secure a trip to Wembley - and a chance to secure a place in the Premier League.

But Reading are a threat going forward themselves, so a more open game could also give them the chance to create more opportunities than they did in the first leg.

Former Wales and Reading defender Adie Williams summed this one up by describing it as "so close to call", which is borne out by the fact that all three matches between these sides this season have produced draws.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
•Reading and Cardiff have each won 19 of the 56 previous meetings.

Cardiff
•This is City's fifth play-off campaign, and their second as a Championship club.
•They are aiming to become only the third club to reach the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing the season fourth. The others were Leicester (1994) and Charlton (1998).

Reading
•Including Friday's first-leg stalemate, Reading have drawn 18 Championship matches this season - more than any other club.
•They are hoping to become the seventh club to reach the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing a season fifth. The last was Burnley in 2009.